Falls are an important risk factor for fragility fractures. Both are associated with the ageing process and as they rise also increase the risk of mortality, disability and dependency. Interventions to prevent falls have been based on multifactorial approaches but the outcomes have shown little effectiveness. Lately, it is being recommended interventions which foster physical exercise incorporating it to daily life activities. The OTAGO exercise programme is based on easy physical exercises for older adults and has shown cost-effective outcomes for falls prevention and its consequences.
This is a randomized clinical trial carried out in primary care. The study's scope of activity will include ten urban primary care centers. All selected patients with inclusion criteria will receive a geriatric assessment and other required medical treatment. Next, they will be allocated either to an intervention group or control group. The intervention group will be trained for three months according to the OTAGO exercise program (training phase). Followed by a loyalty phase during which they will be monitored quarterly for a year by their assessment team. The control group will be receive normal medical treatment. Falls and fractures will be monitored quarterly in both groups during 15 months.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
402
The intervention is based on OTAGO's program, consisting of a set of aerobic exercises affecting gait, balance, stability and are adapted for older people to support them both in groups and individually. The program lasts 6 weeks (2 sessions per week) and is followed by a loyalty phase to consolidate the exercise program. Falls and fractures will be monitored quarterly for 15 months.
Normal medical treatment will be provided by family physicians and nurses.
CAP Barberà del Vallès
Barbera Del Valles, Barcelona, Spain
CAP Canaletes
Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
CAP Serraparera
Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
CAP Creu Alta
Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain
CAP Badia del Vallés
Barcelona, Spain
CAP Castellar
Castellar del Vallès, Spain
CAP La Llagosta
La Llagosta, Spain
Cap Centre
Sabadell, Spain
Cap Can Rull
Sabadell, Spain
CAP Ca N'Oriach
Sabadell, Spain
...and 1 more locations
Reduction of falls measured with a questionnaire from April 2016 to June 2017.
Evaluate the incidence of OTAGO's physical intervention program on fall reduction in elderly (75-89years). Starting training with phase guided by physiotherapist, followed by loyalty phase guided by regular nurse. It will be measured with a questionnaire at baseline and during follow-up.
Time frame: 15 months
Reduction of fracture measured with a questionnaire (location, causes and consequences) from April 2016 to June 2017.
Evaluate the incidence of OTAGO's physical intervention program on fracture reduction in elderly (75-89years). Starting training with phase guided by physiotherapist, followed by loyalty phase guided by regular nurse. It will be measured with a questionnaire (location, causes and consequences) at baseline and during follow-up.
Time frame: 15 months
Reduction of fear to fall measured with Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) from April 2016 to June 2017.
Evaluate the incidence of OTAGO's physical intervention program on reduction of fear to fall in elderly (75-89years). Starting training with phase guided by physiotherapist, followed by loyalty phase guided by regular nurse. It will be measured with Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) at baseline and during follow-up.
Time frame: 15 months
Parameters of physical frailty (strength) measured with switched test Timed Get Up and Go (TGUAG) from April 2016 to June 2017.
Evaluate the incidence of OTAGO's physical intervention program on improvement of parameters of physical frailty (strength) in elderly (75-89years). Starting training with phase guided by physiotherapist, followed by loyalty phase guided by regular nurse. It will be measured with switched test Timed Get Up and Go (TGUAG) at baseline and during follow-up.
Time frame: 15 months
Parameters of physical frailty (balance) measured through Biodex Balance System ('stability index') from April 2016 to June 2017.
Evaluate the incidence of OTAGO's physical intervention program on improvement of parameters of physical frailty (balance) in elderly (75-89years). Starting training with phase guided by physiotherapist, followed by loyalty phase guided by regular nurse. It will be measured through Tinneti Scale and Biodex Balance System. Biodex Balance System provides valid, reliable and repeatable objective measures of a patient's ability to balance on stable and unstable surfaces. It provides visual biofeedback of a patient's ability to control their centre of gravity and their limits of stability. This test provides an objective 'stability index' that if higher than the predicted value indicates a strength, proprioception, and vestibular or visual impairment. Both monitoring at baseline and during follow-up.
Time frame: 15 months
Parameters of physical frailty (motion) measured through "BTS G-WALK" from April 2016 to June 2017.
Evaluate the incidence of OTAGO's physical intervention program on improvement of parameters of physical frailty (flexibility) in elderly (75-89years). Starting training with phase guided by physiotherapist, followed by loyalty phase guided by regular nurse. It will be measured through "BTS G-WALK". It is a wireless laptop, its software allows to analyze basic parameters of motion. It will be monitoring at baseline and during follow-up.
Time frame: 15 months
Parameters of physical frailty (endurance) measured with dynamometer from April 2016 to June 2017.
Evaluate the incidence of OTAGO's physical intervention program on improvement of parameters of physical frailty (endurance) in elderly (75-89years). Starting training with phase guided by physiotherapist, followed by loyalty phase guided by regular nurse. It will be tested as strength measured with dynamometer in leg and arm. It will be monitoring at baseline and during follow-up.
Time frame: 15 months
Appointment at the surgery measured through questionnaire of number of appointment in the practice
Evaluate the incidence of OTAGO's physical intervention program on reduction of appointment in the practice of primary and second care and hospital admission in elderly (75-89years). Starting training with phase guided by physiotherapist, followed by loyalty phase guided by regular nurse. It will be measured through questionnaire of number of appointment in the practice in the previous year and during follow-up.
Time frame: 15 months
Nursing Home admittance measured through questionnaire
Evaluate the incidence of OTAGO's physical intervention program on reduction of inclusion rate in home care or institutionalization in elderly (75-89years). Starting training with phase guided by physiotherapist, followed by loyalty phase guided by regular nurse. It will be measured through questionnaire of home care and/or institutionalization in the previous year and during follow-up.
Time frame: 15 months
Drug reduction measured through questionnaire of kind of drug from April 2016 to June 2017.
Evaluate the effect of drug reduction in the intervention of disprescription performed in the cohort by the usual care team in elderly (75-89 years). It will be measured through questionnaire of kind of drug, if there are any removed drug, and number and kind of drug removed to the end. Monitoring at baseline and during follow-up.
Time frame: 15 months
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